Tag: coffee

Kaeru is the word for “frog” in Japanese and it’s also the name of a great little coffee shop in Okayama City. A local English teacher recommended this coffee shop, so I jumped on my bicycle and rode all the way from Kurashiki just to try it.

The prevalent idea in the coffee drinking world is that fresher is better. I was proven wrong on my last visit to Tokyo when I stopped at the legendary Café de l’Ambre for a cup of their finest aged coffee.

I drank my first Vietnamese coffee at café Lam when I arrived in Hanoi. The coffee shop is located on the outer edge of the old town and when we got there, the customers were spilling out on the sidewalk. I grabbed two small plastic stools and sat between two parked scooters.

La vie en Café is located in a very odd little building behind the Okayama City Symphonic Orchestra. If you spend enough time in Japan, you quickly realize that there is not many old buildings in Japanese cities. This building seem to be clinging to another age among a sea of new constructions since it survived the bombing of Okayama. (Okayama castle which is about 5 min away was severely damaged)

Have you ever been away from home for a very long time? I’ve now been away from Montreal since late July 2008 and I’ve noticed that what I miss the most from back home is food. Maple syrup, smoked meat and poutine seem to be part of my DNA.

I have walked in front of this discreet coffee shop on numerous occasions without really noticing it. Kurashiki Coffee-Kan is located right in the heart of the historic Bikan area of Kurashiki city in Okayama Prefecture. I think I might have found my little coffee heaven only 20 min from my house.